When the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, the Marauders were just
finishing up the full plot to their opening prank for the year. It was
decided that James, being as good as he was with transfiguration and
charms, was to do the magical side of things. Remeus was to find the charm
that takes up hems (he was sure he had seen his mother use it). Sirius had
suggested that they just use the shearing charm, and so what if they had
crooked hems. James patiently explained that the idea was for the girls to
notice it as little as possible, and a jagged-edged skirt was very
noticeable.
As they made their way off the train and boarded the carriages that stood waiting for them, someone grabbed James' arm. He turned around and was stunned to see Lily, who was avoiding his eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself, Potter." She snapped. "We have to go and sit in the head carriage, that's all."
Not willing to pass up an opportunity to be alone with Lily, James obliged. As soon as they got out of the crowds, Lily dropped James' arm like it was a red-hot iron. (a/n: James is red-hot! Hehe! So are the Weasley twins!) He followed her to the carriage at the front of the line. James hesitated, then leaned across and held the door open for Lily. She walked past James as though he was not there.
Gritting his teeth, James stepped into the carriage and left his luggage outside the door, so as it could be collected and taken up to the castle. Sitting down in his lavishly-decorated seat, he sighed, which was not something he did often. He was always laughing or talking; there was always someone around willing to talk to James Potter. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to start a conversation with Lily. He racked his brain to think of a topic she wouldn't find immature or inappropriate. Finally it hit him. What was Lily interested in? School. Why did Lily like school? Class. Was Lily good in class? Yes. Perfect topic to get her talking.
James ran his hand nervously through his hair. "So, Lily," he announced, "What subjects have you got this year?"
Lily glanced up at him, not actually believing he was trying to start a civilized conversation with her.
James continued in spite of Lily's lack of response. "I've got Potions, Divination, Charms, History of Magic, Astrology and I've also got a place in Advanced Transfiguration." He added, puffing out his chest. If he couldn't impress Lily with his flawless Quidditch techniques or his witty remarks, he could try impressing her with his superior intellect.
There was just one small flaw in this concept. James showing off at all was what Lily hated about him. If she didn't care about his Quidditch, she surely wouldn't care if he was good at school. You see, If James stopped trying to show off, Lily thought to herself, I might actually give him a chance. Instead, she decided too fight fire with fire.
"Potter, shut up. Stop trying to impress me. I do not want to go out with you. I do not like you. You are an arrogant little berk (a/n: thankyou Sirius!). I am not going to go out with you and be treated like you treat every girl you go out with. It's wham, bam, let's make out now, Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have time to go out with you anymore, you know, all the Quidditch, so see you later. And five minutes later, you're chatting up the next girl! Honestly, give it a rest, James."
"But. I. Umm. I never did that!" James spluttered indignantly. "And even if I did, what makes you think I would treat YOU like that, Evans?"
"Because you call me Evans. A real Gentleman calls ladies by their preferred names, and forgive me for saying this, but Evans makes me sound like a boy."
"There's no pleasing you, is there!" said James, who was starting to lose his temper. "I try to make an effort, I try to make conversation that interests you, I offer you some of my lollies, which are normally reserved for me and the guys. I mean Lily, tell me what you want me to be like. I try really hard to be nice to you, It's just that I don't know how you want me to be nice. You're not like all the other girls, Lily." Dejected, James sank back into his seat.
Lily was shocked.
Very shocked.
"You mean to say," she said, "that you, James Potter, are capable of emotions? And what do you mean,, I'm not like other girls? Just because I think you're arrogant and conceited, and plainly you spend too much time looking at yourself in the mirror, doesn't mean I'm different, you know. I just want to know the person I go out with, James, and frankly, you don't even know yourself."
And they spent the rest of the trip in silence, looking at each other.
******
That night in bed (in his Head Boy room) James could not sleep. He was thinking about what Lily had said earlier that day.
"I just want to know the person I go out with, James, and frankly, you don't even know yourself." James mimicked Lily's voice. He had tried to shrug it off as a misjudgment on her part, but no matter how much he told himself, 'You are James Potter, Quidditch star and the most popular guy in school.", Lily's words still found their way back into his head. It scared him that she knew so much about him. And even more so that he really liked her. He couldn't put himself into a relationship where he was so emotionally vulnerable, could he?
Sick of thinking about it, James decided to take himself and his invisibility cloak out for a stroll to get some hot chocolate. Still in his pyjamas and slippers, James emerged from his room (keep in mind that it was 2 in the morning) and was stunned to find that Lily was asleep in one of the cushy armchairs by the fire. She had been reading, because a book was still clasped tightly in her hand, though it had slipped to the floor.
God she's beautiful when she's sleeping, thought James. Her hair shone in the firelight, making it even more fiery that it already was. Her emerald almond-shaped eyes that he so loved were closed, making her look like a little girl instead of one of 17. He crept over to her room and took the doona off her bed. Gently, he took the book from her and tucked her in. Gently, almost timidly he kissed her softly on the cheek. All ideas of a midnight (well, 2 in the morning) stroll abandoned, James retreated into his bedroom to fall asleep thinking about Lily.
******
a/n: Thankyou for all my reviews. I would like to thank the following:
serenepetee
Lila
TeenTypist
J.E.A.R. Potter (I'm a big fan of yours)
And any other people who review before this posts.
Thanks! Kimberly
P.S. Do we want to give Lily a boyfriend to make her realize she wants James and to make James realize he would do anything to have her?
As they made their way off the train and boarded the carriages that stood waiting for them, someone grabbed James' arm. He turned around and was stunned to see Lily, who was avoiding his eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself, Potter." She snapped. "We have to go and sit in the head carriage, that's all."
Not willing to pass up an opportunity to be alone with Lily, James obliged. As soon as they got out of the crowds, Lily dropped James' arm like it was a red-hot iron. (a/n: James is red-hot! Hehe! So are the Weasley twins!) He followed her to the carriage at the front of the line. James hesitated, then leaned across and held the door open for Lily. She walked past James as though he was not there.
Gritting his teeth, James stepped into the carriage and left his luggage outside the door, so as it could be collected and taken up to the castle. Sitting down in his lavishly-decorated seat, he sighed, which was not something he did often. He was always laughing or talking; there was always someone around willing to talk to James Potter. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to start a conversation with Lily. He racked his brain to think of a topic she wouldn't find immature or inappropriate. Finally it hit him. What was Lily interested in? School. Why did Lily like school? Class. Was Lily good in class? Yes. Perfect topic to get her talking.
James ran his hand nervously through his hair. "So, Lily," he announced, "What subjects have you got this year?"
Lily glanced up at him, not actually believing he was trying to start a civilized conversation with her.
James continued in spite of Lily's lack of response. "I've got Potions, Divination, Charms, History of Magic, Astrology and I've also got a place in Advanced Transfiguration." He added, puffing out his chest. If he couldn't impress Lily with his flawless Quidditch techniques or his witty remarks, he could try impressing her with his superior intellect.
There was just one small flaw in this concept. James showing off at all was what Lily hated about him. If she didn't care about his Quidditch, she surely wouldn't care if he was good at school. You see, If James stopped trying to show off, Lily thought to herself, I might actually give him a chance. Instead, she decided too fight fire with fire.
"Potter, shut up. Stop trying to impress me. I do not want to go out with you. I do not like you. You are an arrogant little berk (a/n: thankyou Sirius!). I am not going to go out with you and be treated like you treat every girl you go out with. It's wham, bam, let's make out now, Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have time to go out with you anymore, you know, all the Quidditch, so see you later. And five minutes later, you're chatting up the next girl! Honestly, give it a rest, James."
"But. I. Umm. I never did that!" James spluttered indignantly. "And even if I did, what makes you think I would treat YOU like that, Evans?"
"Because you call me Evans. A real Gentleman calls ladies by their preferred names, and forgive me for saying this, but Evans makes me sound like a boy."
"There's no pleasing you, is there!" said James, who was starting to lose his temper. "I try to make an effort, I try to make conversation that interests you, I offer you some of my lollies, which are normally reserved for me and the guys. I mean Lily, tell me what you want me to be like. I try really hard to be nice to you, It's just that I don't know how you want me to be nice. You're not like all the other girls, Lily." Dejected, James sank back into his seat.
Lily was shocked.
Very shocked.
"You mean to say," she said, "that you, James Potter, are capable of emotions? And what do you mean,, I'm not like other girls? Just because I think you're arrogant and conceited, and plainly you spend too much time looking at yourself in the mirror, doesn't mean I'm different, you know. I just want to know the person I go out with, James, and frankly, you don't even know yourself."
And they spent the rest of the trip in silence, looking at each other.
******
That night in bed (in his Head Boy room) James could not sleep. He was thinking about what Lily had said earlier that day.
"I just want to know the person I go out with, James, and frankly, you don't even know yourself." James mimicked Lily's voice. He had tried to shrug it off as a misjudgment on her part, but no matter how much he told himself, 'You are James Potter, Quidditch star and the most popular guy in school.", Lily's words still found their way back into his head. It scared him that she knew so much about him. And even more so that he really liked her. He couldn't put himself into a relationship where he was so emotionally vulnerable, could he?
Sick of thinking about it, James decided to take himself and his invisibility cloak out for a stroll to get some hot chocolate. Still in his pyjamas and slippers, James emerged from his room (keep in mind that it was 2 in the morning) and was stunned to find that Lily was asleep in one of the cushy armchairs by the fire. She had been reading, because a book was still clasped tightly in her hand, though it had slipped to the floor.
God she's beautiful when she's sleeping, thought James. Her hair shone in the firelight, making it even more fiery that it already was. Her emerald almond-shaped eyes that he so loved were closed, making her look like a little girl instead of one of 17. He crept over to her room and took the doona off her bed. Gently, he took the book from her and tucked her in. Gently, almost timidly he kissed her softly on the cheek. All ideas of a midnight (well, 2 in the morning) stroll abandoned, James retreated into his bedroom to fall asleep thinking about Lily.
******
a/n: Thankyou for all my reviews. I would like to thank the following:
serenepetee
Lila
TeenTypist
J.E.A.R. Potter (I'm a big fan of yours)
And any other people who review before this posts.
Thanks! Kimberly
P.S. Do we want to give Lily a boyfriend to make her realize she wants James and to make James realize he would do anything to have her?